288 



The Book of Woodcraft 



SPEARING THE GREAT STURGEON 



This water game is exceedingly popular and is especially 

 good for public exhibition, being spectacular and fuU of 

 amusement and excitement. 



The outfit needed is: 



(i) A sturgeon roughly formed of soft wood ; it should be 

 about three feet long and nearly a foot thick at the head. 

 It may be made realistic, or a small log pointed at both 

 ends will serve. 



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(2) Two spears with six-inch steel heads and wooden 

 handles (about three feet long). The points should be 

 sharp, but not the barbs. Sometimes the barbs are omit- 

 ted altogether. Each head should have an eye to which is 



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attached twenty feet of one-quarter-inch rope. On each 

 rope, six feet from the spearhead, is a fathom mark made 

 by tying on a rag or cord. 



(3) Two boats with crews. Each crew consists of a 

 spearman, who is captain, and one or two oarsmen or pad- 

 dlers, of which the after one is the pilot. All should be 

 expert swimmers or else wear life belts during the game. 



The game. Each boat has a base or harbor; this is 



